


RAD: A Year to Remember

by Wicchaott



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: F/M, Shall We Date?: Obey Me! Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:47:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23092825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wicchaott/pseuds/Wicchaott
Summary: What you're about to read is a recollection of my experience from a strange place akin to hell, called the Devildom, where I had been abducted and sent to... for.. another school year. It wasn't like any school year any human's attended, I bet! So join me in this self-insert fanfiction to know just exactly what happened to me there and the seven peculiar demons I got to know. Maybe you'd wonder what happened to me, maybe you'd want to be abducted, too. If it's the latter, you probably need Jesus.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	1. Dazed

There I was, laying in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar place. The unearthly sweet scent filled the air.. intoxicating, suffocating. I wondered when I could go home.

Home. Earth.  
Was it really home?  
As a Christian I always referred to myself as a passerby but, now being away from it, I called it 'home.'  
Home. A familiar place. With familiar things. Things I was comfortable with. The bed and clothes I laid in were soft, cozy and comfortable, though something felt odd about them. Something felt out of place with it all. Something unfamiliar.

Me. I felt out of place. I was the unfamiliar.

A few days ago, I had been whisked away in my sleep to a strange, chaotic land which was akin to hell but, not really, I supposed. I thought I'd been sent here because I died and should've been punished for my sins and if not for my sins, my bisexuality. One way or another, I earned a place here.

The Lord Diavolo, proclaimed as sole heir to the throne of Demon King- the redheaded guy who dragged me into all this- called this place the Devildom. Or Demondom? Didn't know. Couldn't remember. Everything seemed to move so fast as I was introduced to person by person and concept to idea to location, that I forgot most of it all. For hours I was still processing just what was happening, that some demon might as well have devoured me while I was zoning out. Lord Diavolo's right-hand man, Lucifer, seemed to enjoy talking about the risk of me getting killed and eaten in gruesome ways, but he promised to not let that happen.  
How could I possibly trust a demon's word on that? Let alone one named Lucifer?! In my book, he was the bloody devil!  
But that didn't seem to be the case here- I didn't know, that entire scene with Lord Diavolo and Lucifer flew by in a whim- a mere flicker in time till I found myself laying in some of hell's finest silk sheets.  
I would've been slapped for saying that. Silk sheets- please, if anything, shouldn't these sheets have been sewn with maggots and tapeworms to chew me up in my sleep? And if it wasn't those, wouldn't there be a charm or spell to bind me somehow? Did this bed do any of that? No. It was a regular, comfortable, pest-free bed by far.

Where the hell was I?!

"HEY!" A muffled shout emanated from my room's door. Were they calling me this whole time? Had I been zoning out again?  
Whoever yelled decided to bang on the door this time around. Quickly I sprang to my feet and opened it, for both our sakes.

Oh gosh, I remembered this guy from when I first came here.

"YOU!" A six-foot white-haired tanned man spat down at me. "Have ya been slackin' off?!"  
I blinked, my mind seemed to have forgotten how to function.  
"Were we.." I stuttered with my sweaty hand on the doorknob, "supposed to do something?"  
"CLASS!" He barked. "You're LATE and you ain't in your uniform- NOW HURRY AN' GET DRESSED!"

... Class?

"Tardy again, Jo," the cougar-headed teacher snarled as she scribbled on the board- or at least the head looked like that of a cougar's. I couldn't seem to trust my instincts anymore.  
Eyes in the room turned to me. Mocking, resentful, hungry eyes. I wanted to shrink in my seat, didn't help that I was smack in the middle of the dimly lit classroom either, like being in a spotlight.  
But I could never let them show that they got to me, so I wore a nervous smile.

"My apologies, teacher," I replied out loud.  
"Please, call me Agrapha, we don't do formalities in the classroom."  
I lowered my head. "Yes, Agrapha."

During the session, my mind was still trying to wrap itself around the entire situation, remembering the Lord Diavolo's seemingly kind words that connected with what Agrapha was saying.

"We may seem like demonic savages here as you humans know us to be, but you've been chosen- out of the many contenders we've considered to be part of the Official ... Exchange Program!  
"For my first priority as Demon King, it is of utmost importance to me to establish and maintain peace amongst the three realms. Your world- the Mortal Realm, stands in between our Realm and the ... I've decided that the way ... to interact, mingle and educate each other about their respective realms is to ... What better way to serve my overall purpose than to put you all in an ... where you're sometimes or often obligated to speak and share your thoughts?  
"I'm sorry that we've taken you from your home realm without your consent, Jo, but I hope you see the goal I'm aiming to achieve here. I won't deny it's hard to trust me, knowing your beliefs and my demonic nature, but your contribution to this Exchange Program will change the future of the three realms for ALL generations to come! By the end of your year here, you'll have ... especially to yours. I hope you can be inspired to cooperate with us as we walk you through what we do here... If not for us, then the least you can do this for, is your home, and yourself."

"If not for us, then the least you can do this for, is your home, and yourself."  
Those last words echoed in my head by the time the bell rang. The ring echoed as well.

By the time I was walking in what seemed like a hallway, my feet couldn't seem to go faster than I wanted them to. The people and creatures passing by melted into a blur, and began to wobble. Colors blended, my eyes fell to the spinning ground. Was it all a dream? Perhaps this was the part I was waking up..? Lights flashed, colors faded. Everything collided and fell away-  
OW! And all was black.

"Issheo..."  
"WhdoIca..."  
I pried my eyes open, greeted by a kaleidoscope of blues, yellows and purples with dashes of green.  
"Loo- sh wag i ng-"  
"Yo?"  
"Yo?"  
"JO!"  
"GAH!" I cried with a jerk that sat me up. I took a quick scan around the room. Nothing familiar.  
It still wasn't my room.  
Oh hell, I wasn't dreaming.

"Look, she's awake. Just needed a li'l nudge!"  
"I wouldn't exactly call that a 'nudge,' Mammon."  
"Nudge, schmudge, look it worked!"  
Taking deep breaths, I turned to where I heard the voices and saw two men towering over my gurney. Luminous crystal shards of blue and green hung overhead, tools of all shapes and sizes- mostly sharp and used for battle in the human world- were displayed on the pale tiled walls. Each tile had some pattern of a creature painted on them in grey. They looked mesmerizing for a second.  
Overwhelmed by the sights, I inhaled lungfuls of air.

"Jo, are you alright?" asked the lemon-haired one. I couldn't take my eyes off the lime tie on his uniform, which I assumed was a uniform because I and the white-haired guy were also wearing it.  
My lips trembled, and my eyes fell to the tiled floor. "Um.. where am I?"  
"You're in the clinic, you collapsed," the lemon guy responded- I just decided to name him Lemon Guy, as a coping mechanism.  
"I collapsed?" I repeated blankly.  
"Yup," replied White-haired Guy. I thought I might as well just call him Colgate Guy. His hair looked as white as a Colgate smile. Yeah haha good one Jo, just don't say it out loud lest he'd decide to eat you.  
A moment of silence went by before Colgate Guy spoke up.  
"Well? Isn't she gonna thank us for saving her life?"  
"Oh come on, she's still in a daze, it's just her second day here," replied Lemon Guy.  
"So how's the patient?" Another voice chimed in, sounding feminine. I couldn't turn and see who it was. My mind was active, but my body completely frozen in fear. Was it fear? Or something else? Either way, it was caught in grips of something.  
"What's happened to her exactly, Berswitch?"  
Berswitch? What an odd name, but nothing compared to everything else that was happening. I found it a pretty cool name eventually.  
"She can't attend classes or do anything physical at the time being. Her body needs to adjust to the Devildom's environment. If she overworks that shell, she will crack and your exchange student's gone."  
"Oh come on!" Colgate Guy whined. "How're we supposed to tell Lucifer that she's gonna miss the orientation?!"  
"Lucifer of all demons should understand," Berswitch retorted, "she'll need to stay in her quarters for most of the day while I check on her progress. When I say she's ready to go, she's ready to go."  
"Thank you," said Lemon Guy. "We'll report to Lucifer and leave Jo in your care."  
At least Lemon Guy here's got some basic decency I would never imagine a demonic creature to have.  
"Oh right Mammon, aren't you supposed to be Jo's guardian?"  
"What?"  
I'm sorry what?  
His name is Mammon?  
Wasn't that a type of bread where I was from?  
"Don't you remember, you moron? Lord Diavolo and Lucifer assigned YOU to be the human exchange student's guide and guardian! They're counting on you to keep her safe."  
"Ya see- that there's the problem. They chose ME, when they shoulda made you her guardian instead- you clearly care 'bout her safety more than I do."  
"Hah, like I'm letting you off the hook so you can go galavanting outside RAD? Nah, I'd rather watch you suffer. Besides, I've got a lot on my plate, and one of them is to make sure Beel doesn't have a lot on his."  
"Who cares about that fatass- one way or another he's gonna devour the whole school!"  
"Yeah- okay. Speaking of that, I bet he's hungry again. I gotta go."  
"Oh come on Satan YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME HERE!"

Um...  
Was Lemon Guy's name.. Satan?  
I thought I much preferred my coping nickname for him.  
But then, if there was Lucifer, who was an entirely different guy, and then there was Satan, also different, then- I dropped the matter. This clearly wasn't the hell I read about.

"Had to be you of all the brothers, huh?" said Berswitch.  
"Ya think??"  
"Well as much as we agree on your incompetence for this responsibility, as Jo's guardian..."  
The floor seemed to wobble. What was happening?  
"..Don't worry, I've dumbed down the tasks for you."  
"I'm sorry-" Mammon scoffed, "dumbed down?"  
Berswitch chuckled.  
"You heard me. All you have to do is take Jo on a stroll around the HoL once a day..." everyone's words began to trail off.  
"Can you stop calling it HOLE? It's not a hole..."  
"Hmm, house, hole. What's the difference?"  
"Wh- What?"

Suddenly their conversation faded to mumbles underwater, and my eyes fell shut as I fell backwards.

"Jo?" A soothing voice came into earshot, like smooth silk that my head rested on. I opened my eyes once again to see a green feminine face with four bloodshot eyes.  
Was I seeing double or did she really have four eyes?

Before I knew it, lanky fingers snapped in my face. My eyes opened at their widest for a split second and turned to the green woman.  
"Can you hear me, Jo? Nod if you do."  
I gave a nod. She pulled away and took a pen to scribble on her webbed hand. Colga- Mammon was standing next to her, his face unreadable due to him wearing what looked like sunglasses, but how could I, a human who knew nothing, assume that? They could be his eyes too for all I knew. Or some visor attached to his head. Gah! Too human! 

After Berswitch, the green cleric, gave me an examination, she locked a velvet bracelet around my left wrist. It was woven with thin rose stems, untrimmed, with a single greying rose as the centerpiece. She then talked to Mammon for a bit and bade us both goodbye. When she left, for a moment I couldn't do anything but sit on my suspiciously silky bed while glancing at Mammon. It seemed that he didn't know what to say either. It was awkward, but I was more focused on the fact that he didn't take advantage of the situation and eat me. My eyes fixated on the branches that snaked along the corners of the ceiling, meeting at the very golden bulb which illuminated the room.

"So," Mammon began, "that um, thing on your wrist. It's not a curse or whatever weird shit you humans might think it is, it's just a tracker to, y'know, uh, keep track of your body. Make sure it's uh, not dead. I guess."  
"Oh," I replied, peering down at it.  
"Also the darker the rose the more unhealthy you are," Mammon added quickly. "Tomorrow when you get up, or after breakfast, I'll walk you 'round the HoL- Ho- dammit- HOUSE OF LAMENTATION."  
"HoL?" I noted.  
"Okay first off, shut up. If we're gonna do this thing then we gotta do it MY way. The Mammon Way. 'Kay? We're gonna have some rules. And that's the first one. Shut up. As in don't talk. Or speak, or breathe- no, nono you can breathe, humans need that. Orrr else they die. You die. Breathin's fine."  
"What if I wanna ask something? Or someone needs to talk to me?" I asked quizzically. I knew the breaking of the first rule meant my death yet I did it anyways! Why?!  
"WHAT DID I JUST- okay good point uh. Just, raise your hand if ya wanna say somethin'. And course ya gotta speak when someone's talkin' to ya- didn't they teach ya that in human school or somethin'?"  
I simply nodded, partly in fear for my life. If I wanted to last at least a month without getting harmed, I had to follow orders to the letter.  
"Secon' rule," Mammon announced with a stomp. "No goin' without me, aright? Not even a step! If I find out ya walk off without me I'mma eat ya! Or feed ya to Beel."  
I raised my hand.  
"Oh you didn't just talk like an idiot for once! Good job- what."  
"What's a Beel?"  
He narrowed his eyes at me. Uh oh, did I say something wrong?  
"Whaddaya mean WHAT'S A BEEL? That's my BROTHER ya talkin' bout- yanno what, he eats so much he might as well be a species of animal or somethin'. A Beel. Yeah. 'Cept there's only one of him- OKAY THIRD RULE. Most important rule of all: Stay alive. Seriously. You die on me and I'll have my ass skewered and served on Lucifer's platter for dinner. Stay alive, for me. Got that?"  
I raised my hand.  
"What now?"  
"You will protect me, right?" I stuttered. "Lucifer said you would."  
"Yeah," he replied briskly, pacing back and forth, "so's long as you follow all three rules! You're lucky I only gave ya three, if it were anyone else they woulda given ya uh 12348374737ABC rules to follow." He stopped and threw his hands up in splendor. "Ya should be thankful that I, the Great and Considerate Mammon gave you three simple rules for your puny human brain to follow!"  
I heaved a sigh, but what did I expect of a demon?  
I gave a nod in reply.  
"Well?" Mammon grumbled, "where's my 'thank you'?"  
I raised my hand.  
"What?"  
"Thank you," I said in the most monotonous way possible.  
He smiled sweetly, which only left a bitter taste in my mouth.  
"You're welcome!"  
Boy you had no idea how much I just wanted kick you in the nuts and bust out of here.

"If not for us, then the least you can do this for, is your home, and yourself."  
There were those words again, reminding me that being in this exchange program did seem like the opportunity of a lifetime to change the world- and other worlds- forever. Fate it seemed, has set me down a path where each choice I made could make a significant difference. There was no way to escape, not in my bodily state, and I knew that well. The least I could do now was represent my realm and soldier through this program till my final breath.

No backsies.


	2. Morning Stroll

I regretted those last two words the next morning.

The Great and Considerate Mammon woke me up in the raw hours of the dawn and reeled me out of my room, as if my physical condition wasn't irritating enough. Whatever Berswitch gave me, though, helped improve my senses. I couldn't doubt my instincts any longer, Mammon was indeed wearing sunglasses indoors, and Berswitch indeed had four bloodshot eyes(in fact, she was known to be the cleric who couldn't cure her own sore eyes).

However, Mammon’s tour around the House of Lamentation or HoL, wasn't the most pleasant. He moved so fast that it was like catching up to a bike, and he explicitly said in Rule Two that I couldn't be even a step away from him. My legs had tired themselves after passing by a few rooms and a flight of stairs. What was the point of giving a tour if you couldn't lend the guest a moment to admire the place?   
Every time I had to pause for a break, he’d bark “Hey human, catch up!” or “Remember Rule Two?”  
Remember Rule Three? Because you were slowly killing me here.  
How I wished I let that out.

I wasn't sure if I could catch up to him anymore. Halls and walls and rooms- doors and patterns- all blurred out by me trying to jog at Mammon’s hell of a “strolling” pace. It was so obvious that he wanted it to be over and done with.   
I couldn't stand it, so I spoke up.   
With a burst of speed, I zipped off on quick, nimble steps to stop Mammon in his tracks. And raise my hand.  
“Woah!” he exclaimed, skidding to a halt. “What do ya want?”  
I held a finger up to give myself time to breathe.  
“You're too FAST!” I blurted out between breaths.  
“What?! Whaddaya mean, fast? I was walkin’ at m’ normal pace!”  
“Normal pace for demons! I'm a frail, puny human, remember?” I heaved a sigh. As much as I hated having to put me and my race down, I had to talk in a way that these bastards would understand.  
“Damn,” Mammon folded his arms, “almost forgot- I mean, I didn't forget! Just uh, overestimated ya. Aright I’ll slow down, and you walk in front o’ me.”  
I grinned, nodding and turned to walk on. Boy did it feel good to take a stroll when the demon, a more powerful, fearsome being, was letting you, a lesser being, take the lead.  
Except for this next part.  
“When I said ya can walk ahead I didn't mean to hold the line!”  
I began to think that this guy was a complete moron, and questioned his authority as one of the higher officials and my guardian. 

After the “tour” and Mammon had gone off, I searched my room for things that’d help me leave this place early, despite the burning sensation in my legs. This place- this entire Demon- Devildom whatever, would drain me of my sanity before even half my year was over and I wasn't about to let that happen. I was kidnapped from Earth, my so-called classmates looked like they wanted to eat me and my demon guardian was an asshole. I needed to leave.

But there was nothing I could find that’d be of any use to me. No blades, no foreign items that maybe held some spell- nothing. Just the living essentials. I definitely doubted that towels would help me suffocate a demon and give me time to get out.  
Jo, you idiot! Where would you go? Who would help you get out?   
You’ve no choice but to soldier through this!  
Just GRIT IT!

Then came a knock on the door. I glanced at the crooked clock. It was time for lunch.

“So how’s Mammon treating you?” asked Berswitch who brought in my meal. This time I got to see her features properly. Sea green and scaly- a siren in its purest form. She kept her webbed hands folded atop her rose skirt after handing me my tray.  
“Could I be honest with you?” I wondered out loud, indulging in familiar human food.  
“Horribly, I presume?”  
I nodded, unsurprised that she knew.  
“I’d get you a better guardian, but you know, Lucifer's orders.”  
“He hates me,” I grumbled, forking at my salmon.  
Berswitch chuckled. “He doesn't hate you. He hates responsibility. But I think if he actually pulls himself together, he can be the best guardian demon you’ve ever had.”  
I could only scoff. “That's quite the oxymoron. How can a demon possibly be compared to a guardian angel?”  
“Your beliefs have led you to think that angels and demons are complete opposites. They've more in common than you think. What I need you to do, young human, is to speak up more. Make sure to let Mammon know EXACTLY what you need.  
“He can't deny the request of his master!” Berswitch ended with a wink.

“Master?” I repeated.  
“It's but a temporary title. A demon having to give service to someone, refers to that someone as their master, as they were appointed by one who’s of a higher rank- Lucifer, in this case. It's not as highly as you humans think it is but it does give you some leverage over what the demon can or cannot do to you. Use it to your advantage.”

•••

“GET UP!”   
And just like that, I was out of my room the next morning, off to another “stroll”. I noticed the rose on my bracelet, which was now a light grey. I couldn't remember its shade yesterday, and presumed that my condition improved.

Before Mammon could speedwalk off, I raised my hand.  
“Huh? What?”  
“I want you to walk alongside me and give me a real tour.”  
“But I just gave ya one yesterday!”  
“No. That wasn't a tour. That was me running out of breath trying to catch up to you as you ran at 40 miles per hour!”  
“Okay, I dunno what that 40 miles whatever is, but it ain't my fault you're slow!”  
I hardened my gaze on him. “YOUR job is to help me recover, NOT to break my legs. You fail to help me and I’ll..” remembering Berswitch’s words... “MAKE SURE I let Lucifer know.”  
I felt the confidence drain off me when I saw Mammon’s face twist into an enraged grimace.  
“Ya wouldn't,” he snarled. His aura shook me, but I stood my ground.  
“Then give me a proper tour around the HoL.”  
His angry face cracked, and he turned around to flail.  
“Noooo it's not called HOLE!” He spun back to me, leaning in. “This is not a hole! This is the House of Lamentation! A house! A big one! Not some rats’ nest! Ya don’ want Lucifer hearin’ ya callin’ his home a hole!”  
“As long as you take me on a proper tour,” I emphasized with a smirk. “By Lucifer’s request, I’m the guest in your care. Any harm should come to me and he’ll be sure to know.”  
This new ability felt good.  
The demon was now flustered by the consequences, they had no choice but to comply.   
“Fine, fine! I’ll show ya ‘round. Properly. With uh words and, describin’ an’ all that shit. Whatever.”

Step by step, we were on our way to getting along on professional guardian-master terms. Mammon showed me around the house while I scheduled when he could take me where, and threatened to tell on Lucifer or say “HoL” whenever he’d screw up. 

On the third morning of my recovery, we strolled along the halls as Mammon talked about his brothers’ quarters with sneers, jeers and grumbles. Turned out that Lucifer was the oldest, and apparently the bossiest, knowing that he was the Avatar of Pride. Mammon was second eldest, and they had five younger brothers. The Beel Mammon spoke of, Beelzebub, was the second youngest, Avatar of Gluttony.  
Mammon was the Avatar of Greed. He didn't tell me about Satan- Lemon Guy, until I asked, and discovered that he was the Avatar of Wrath.  
Interesting, my mind purred. The brothers were basically the incarnations of the seven deadly sins, hence seven brothers. Mammon however, didn't tell me any more details on Sloth, Lust and Envy.  
I wasn't sure if I wanted to meet them at all, let alone the Avatar of Lust. However, seeing that the Avatar of Wrath was a seemingly calm and controlled person, I had a glimmer of hope that they wouldn't be so bad once I got to know them better.  
Or would they have been much worse?  
Only time would tell.

It was my fourth day, and Berswitch bore news that I’d be all set to resume at the RAD Institute by the end of the week. How weeks worked down here, I thought I’d never know til Berswitch said ‘Saturday.’  
Somehow I found myself looking forward to strolling with Mammon. We were making steady progress, having less squabbles and more discussions about the HoL.   
Mammon, being the Avatar of Greed, often talked about earning money and spending. He bragged as he talked smack of his brothers, and droned on about his relationship with “Goldie.”   
At that point, I felt so sorry for whoever Goldie was.  
And as much as I wanted to hear more about him, he was getting off-track from the tour, so I had to remind him about it.  
He complied, without me having to spew a threat.

I couldn't help but smile about it. Maybe my year here wouldn't be so horrible after all.

Later on we arrived at the Infamous Hallway. Mammon didn't clearly explain why it was called that, as he kept dodging my questions. The hall didn't look infamous at all; it looked glorious, what with the stained-glass ceiling of melodious colors whose light dappled on the blood red carpet, and the overarching marble gargoyles that were lined up along the elegant patterned walls.   
Something happened here to have earned its name. A chill crept up my spine just thinking of it. As I did, the air felt colder. Or so it seemed to me.

“Mammon?” A faint voice echoed across the hall, piercing through the cold spell. Both me and Mammon turned to the thin silhouette at the farthest end of the hallway.  
Mammon squinted before he could reply. “Oh hey! The hell ya doin’ here?”  
He could tell all the way from here? Wait, of course. Demons were powerful. Why was I surprised?  
“Who’s that?” The voice asked back. I swore I heard crystals shimmer as their voice rang throughout the hall.  
Mammon glanced at me with a smirk. I returned with a puzzled look on my face.  
“Haven't ya heard? The new exchange student!”  
“GAH! Normie!” the voice yelped with a crack. Soon the silhouette was gone.

Wait. Did they just say normie?  
I raised my hand.  
“Hm?” Mammon blinked, turning to me with his hands at his hips.  
“Who was that?”  
He scoffed. “N’body important. Dude’s a weirdo.”  
Well if everything else here was already weird and that guy got called a weirdo, they must've been on a whole different level.  
I mean, they did assume I was a normie. That was weird.  
Yet I still wanted to get to know them.  
Were they human like me, too? The Lord Diavolo did mention another human exchange student in the RAD Institute, and ‘normie’ was one of the most human words I could think of.

Could they be..?


	3. The Normie

“So are they human or demon or-”  
“Nuh.”  
“Do you know them well-”  
“Wish I didn't.”  
“What makes them such a weir-”  
Mammon raised a rigid finger. “Yanno what? How bout we change the First Rule. ONE QUESTION PER RAISING OF HAND. Got that?!”  
Thus I raised my hand.   
Mammon sighed in exasperation. “Now what?”  
“Why won't you tell me who they are?”  
“Cuz they ain't worth knowin’! If anythin’, the only peeps you should know WELL while you're here are uh, the uh important guys like Lord Diavolo and Berswitch, the guy who runs the Central Devildom Bank and me. Knowin’ too many peeps can get ya eaten or worse, killed!”  
I blinked. “But isn't getting eaten the same as-”  
“FUHGET IT! Ya ran outta questions for today- no, the WHOLE week. From now on, ya can only speak sentences or, scream in pain or breathe.”  
“Okay,” I replied with a bummed tone.

It was fun pestering Mammon that day, even if it meant losing my freedom of asking questions. Though I still feared him, something about him just made me.. brave around him.  
I was his master, and his duty was to take care of me. That was what made me brave.

But what if he’d stop being my guardian? What then? Would I still be as fearless as I was now?

I laid in the periwinkle silk bed once again for the rest of the day, no longer minding how suspiciously comfy it was. Figured that I should enjoy it while it lasted.  
The rose on my centerpiece was almost white, thus it wasn't long before I’d return to my quarters at the RAD Institute. 

Sometimes I did feel like just staying here at the HoL, however, not having to face the students, not having to fear getting eaten or torn to shreds so much everyday. I knew Mammon wouldn't be able to protect me on the daily, but at least here, I was safer. I felt safer.

But then, there were also three more brothers of the supposed family of demons whom I’d no idea about. This led me to feel fearful of them; not being able to predict their moves at all. Heck, Sa- Lemon Demon looked way too controlled to be the Avatar of Wrath. The thought began to creep in the deep crevices of my mind and pull at my strings.  
I wasn't that safe here, either.  
It still felt safer here than at the RAD Institute, though.

I opened up to Berswitch the next morning.  
“Well..” her blood-red eyes shifted to the floor, “to be honest I don't know them well, especially how one of them’s a shut-in, or so the rest told me.   
“But Jo, you’re the human exchange student the Lord Diavolo appointed. Every demon here knows should any harm come to you, they’ll have to face his judgment. The Lord Diavolo is much treasured and respected, especially by Lucifer, and his brothers are fearful of him as well.”  
“How do I know they're not going to ambush or pull something on me by the time I’m done here?” I asked quizzically.  
Berswitch grinned.  
“Demons may be snide, brash, untrustworthy and mischievous, but they're very proud creatures. Their position and reputation matters to them above almost everything else. When they promise something, they keep it, and they're not about to break that and have their rep soiled anytime!  
“So just keep that in mind.”

Truly, these demons weren't like the type I read about in my book. But, there was a question that still hung in the midst.

“Do you know the Avatars of Envy, Lust and Sloth?”  
Berswitch only chuckled, her serrated fangs glinting in the pale light.  
“Mammon told me not to tell you about them, and as much as I want to defy his order, I think it's better that you go and discover them for yourself!”  
What?!  
“No!” I exclaimed, dropping my spoon, and heard a splash.  
Nooooo it fell in the soup-  
“Oh dear Cerberus, your spoon,” Berswitch noted with a webbed hand to her chest.  
“Berswitch I can't just go and introduce myself like a, a human being or a sane person! Besides, Mammon would never let me get to know them!”  
“Then ask Lucifer!” she said with a smile. My eyes widened in horror at the sound of his name.  
“LUCIFER?! Are you insane?! I'm in no place to come to him!”  
“Seriously, Jo, you’re already in the closest place to what you consider hell. You can't just sit around and be afraid of everything. You have to try! Better to die trying than to die still! Well okay, I told that to the last fool that fell for my amateur singing but it also applies here!”

When she went, I contemplated.   
She was right. While I still had my body and my breath, I had to try something.   
If I wanted to know who these Avatars were, I’d have to take the initiative.

“Take me to Lucifer,” I blurted out on my sixth stroll. We began walking at a later time in the morning, giving me enough sleeping hours for my age.  
“Huh?” Mammon narrowed his eyes, scratching his fluffy gelled white hair. “Why?”  
“I just wanna talk to him.” I ended with a little grin.  
Mammon kept his gaze on me for a moment, till his eyes widened; something had seemed to dawn on him.  
“Ya think I’mma dumbass?!”  
I took a step back. “Eh?!”  
“Ya think I dunno why ya wanna talk to ‘im?! I know it's cuz ya wanna know my brother who talked to us when we w-” and there he shut himself up with both hands cupped to his mouth.  
Aaaa-HA!  
“That was one of your brothers too?!” I exclaimed in wonder. Mammon scrambled his hands into his pockets.  
“WHAT’D I JUST SAY?! NO QUESTIONS ALLOWED!”  
“What do you mean by ‘no questions allowed’, Mammon?”  
Suddenly Mammon fell silent. I turned around to see a towering shadow- the man with the black gloves I met when I first got here.

Lucifer.

“Have you been obstructing our guest’s right to speak, Mammon?”  
I found myself standing beside Mammon, whose face was frozen in shock. My eyes couldn't get away from Lucifer’s sharp red gaze. He furrowed his brows. It seemed his patience was running thin.  
“Uh HEY Lucifer!” Mammon’s voice cracked, “Well uh, I did that cuz uh, the human here was askin’ too many questions-”  
“Really? About what?” His glare turned to me. I suddenly forgot to breathe.  
“About.. who the rest of our brothers are…” Mammon trailed off.  
Lucifer’s hard gaze broke when he blinked in mere surprise.  
“You.. haven't introduced our brothers yet?”  
“Uhhhh??” Mammon squeaked. The atmosphere seemed to lighten up, and I felt I could breathe again.  
“Mammon, I know you barely have a brain in there but, what were you thinking?”  
“Uuuhhhhh??”  
I had to stifle a laugh.  
“Go. Introduce her to your brothers this instant, while I think about what to do with you later. As for you, Jo, I apologize on Mammon’s behalf. He’s a piece of scum that just turned out to be my brother.”  
“HEY!” Mammon stuttered.   
“It's alright, Lucifer,” I said with a grin.   
And from there he returned my grin, stepping aside. Mammon heaved a sigh and beckoned me to follow.

“Ya mus’ feel veeeeery proud of yaself, human. Embarrassin’ me in fronta Lucifer like that. You were just lucky he was in a better mood at that time!” Mammon grumbled as we strolled towards the hall of the brothers’ quarters.  
“So does that mean Rule One’s gone?” I asked, beaming.  
He shot a resentful glance at me and replied “Yup.”  
Yes!!!  
“So why didn't you want me to know the rest of your brothers?”  
“Listen up. Just cuz ya got the freedom to ask like a billion questions doesn't mean I’mma answer all of em.”  
“Hm. Fair enough.”

Me and Mammon stopped in front of a stark white door with a big sign that said “KNOCK FIRST. NORMIES NOT WELCOME,” in what seemed like marker scribble, along with some footnotes of I presumed the sign was in other languages.

“We're gonna start with my weirdo of a brother that we- I mean I saw at the Infamous Hallway! You're gonna love him- he despises humans and is addicted to uh, cartoon women!”  
I blinked in surprise. They actually have otakus down here, too? This all sounded like some one big anime I was in!

Mammon then kicked his brother’s door like hell was about to freeze over. A muffled shout came from the other side.  
“WHAAAAT IS IT NOW, MAMMON?!”  
“I WANNA INTRODUCE YOU TO SOMEONE!”  
“NO GO AWAY! U-UNLESS IT’S RURI-CHAN HERSELF!”  
Mammon turned to me. “Well ya heard ‘im, he ain't comin’ out unless you're some magical game girl or somethin’.”  
“Then tell him it's Lucifer's orders!” I said with excitement.  
“Man I’ll never understand you humans, always excited bout meetin’ someone new- what’s so appealin’ bout that anyway?”  
I shot him a glare. “Just please make him come out, Mammon.”  
Mammon grimaced. “Fine.” And he kicked at his door again.  
“I SAID GO AWAY!” came the voice.  
“LUCIFER’S ORDERS SO COME ON OUT YOU DUMBASS!”

And there, the door finally opened. I got to see that silhouette up close. He had amber eyes with a hint of blue, was slightly taller than Mammon, and had a cerulean bowlcut swept to the side that ended on a cowlick.  
I think I just found the Otaku incarnate. My eyes couldn't stop staring at him.  
“Who’s this,” he asked with a straight face, taking off his headphones.  
“I just said she's the new exchange student, what are you, deaf?” Mammon replied.  
“Hi! I'm Jo!” I said with a grin and a little wave.  
“And I'm Leviathan. Avatar of Envy. Third oldest. I don't associate with normies.”  
Mammon leaned towards my ear. “Just call ‘im Levi, nobody actually bothers to say his name.”  
“No normie’s allowed to use my nickname, Mammon!” Leviathan whined.  
I folded my arms. “What makes you think I'm a normie anyways?”  
“Do you know the Tales of the Seven Lords?”  
“Uh.. no?”  
“Then you’re just a normie.”  
I whispered to Mammon. “What's Tales of the Seven Lords?”  
Leviathan smirked. “It's no use to ask my idiot brother, normie! He knows nothing!”  
Mammon bared his teeth at him before responding. “It's that famous Devildom series he's obsessed with, or whatever.”  
“One of the very best out there!” Leviathan added with sheer enthusiasm.  
And from there, a thought dawned on me. An evil one. A devilish one.

“Do you know, the Lord of the Rings?” I mused.  
Leviathan’s smile disappeared.  
“There's no such lord!”  
I gasped sarcastically.  
“What?! You have no idea about one of the best series ever in the human world?! I bet you don't even know Avatar: The Last Airbender!”  
Leviathan looked mad puzzled. I heard Mammon burst a chuckle.

“You don't know Lord of the Rings?!” Another voice came. I recognized it, turned to my right and there he was.  
Lemon Guy.  
“Why, all the real otakus should know of its existence at least! Which only means one thing, Levi: You're a normie!”

“Levi’s a normie?!” Another voice came.   
“Yeah!” Came an orange-haired guy out of his room, holding a four-bun hamburger, whom I presumed was Beelzebub, Avatar of Gluttony.  
“Never thought I’d see the day!” he exclaimed before taking a chomp out of his burger.   
“SHUT UP!” Leviathan fumed amongst the jeers and laughter, “I’M NOT A NORMIE!”  
“Heyy come on, Levi, we’re all normies here! At least ya one of us now!” said Mammon coolly.  
“ONE OF YOU?!” Leviathan growled.  
“Ohhhhh shit,” Mammon raised his brows. “Human, ya better run.”  
Lemon Guy nodded. “Mhmm.”  
I blinked, turning to Mammon. “I better what?”

And before I knew it, Leviathan’s body was glowing in blues and purples. The hallway seemed to quake as the lights ignited into flames on his back, and I found Leviathan’s cold, angry wild eyes dead focused on me.

“.. Demons.. they’re very proud creatures…”

“I WILL NEVER BE IDENTIFIED WITH SOMEONE AS LOW AS A NORMIE! OR A HUMAN!”

Oh shit.


	4. Leviathan

Had to go- where? This hall. That door. Through here. Up there. Down here- my mind swirled. Had to breathe. Keep my eyes peeled for an exit- could it be?!

•••

A blast of fragrance blew in my face till I opened my eyes, and found myself in front of a garden, a garden that seemed to stretch for miles.

No longer did I hear anyone pursuing me until there it was: the sound of unfurling wings. Turning around, I saw a figure with two black horns curved outwards on the sides of their head, and in my face were four silky raven wings outstretched, glowing red. The aura didn't seem angry.. I knew that somehow.

I took a step back, not wanting to interfere and put my life in danger again like an idiot.  
The memories of what happened before I darted off all crashed down on me. I stood face-to-face with the enraged Avatar of Envy, Leviathan. His brothers told me to run, not sure what my guardian Mammon did to help, but I made it. Alive, and unharmed. Somehow, I outran an angry demon and arrived just in time to bump into Lucifer. 

“Are you alright?” asked a deep voice. I blinked, turning up to see Lucifer folding his wings with the red aura dissolving. His gaze softened.  
I nodded, grimacing.  
“I should have told you sooner not to fool around so much with my brothers, lest this happens,” he said sternly, “and you were lucky that he hasn't revealed his demon form. We tend to have an uncontrollable rage and the craving to kill when at that state.  
“But a promise is a promise, human. I will make sure no harm comes to you, and that my brothers acknowledge that. You're our exchange student- as much a student as anyone at the RAD Institute.”  
“Thank you,” I replied with a curt bow. “I appreciate it.”  
Then a grin curved on the demon’s lips.  
“Don't expect me, or Mammon, or any of us to come to your rescue all the time, however. You were lucky that I was tending to the gardens before leaving. At some point, you must learn to defend yourself somehow. Keep your wits about you, Jo.”  
“I will,” I said, standing firm and hardening my gaze. I knew from day one that this place was no walk in the park, but it seemed that I’ve become too relaxed here at HoL.

Lucifer had gone off without a bid of farewell, and left me surrounded in a rainbow flurry of roses. As much as I wanted to stay, I feared what trouble I could cause here, and headed back to my room.  
Upon coming in, whispering echoes surrounded me, then faded into silence. I turned to my left and found a lanky silhouette sitting on a bench in the shadows of the corner, their back turned to me. I figured I’d make a beeline for the doorway(remembering that one leading to my quarters from Mammon’s tour) and that the figure wouldn’t notice me.  
And thus I did. I quickened my pace, and easily got past the figure until I noticed that glint of cerulean hair in the faint light.  
Then I turned around, like an idiot.  
If I were Lot’s wife, I’d be a pillar of salt by now.

It was Leviathan, and he returned my gaze. I readied myself to bolt out in case, but he didn’t say or do anything. His amber eyes were a somber gold in the shadows. All he did was look away after a moment.  
Suddenly I thought he didn’t seem to be the kind of demon who was violent, but who was I to assume that on my first week in the Devildom?

A voice broke my train of thought.  
“Why are you just standing there?”  
“Oh,” I blurted out. “Sorry for disturbing you, I’ll just go-”  
“I’m sorry,” Leviathan spoke before I could turn around.  
“It’s alright, I shouldn’t have said that,” I replied, feeling my hands begin to sweat.  
“You really shouldn’t have… though it’s true.”  
I raised my brows. “So.. you admit you’re a normie in the human world?”  
“Yes and I HATE IT!” he growled. “I know just about every good show, game and book in the three realms yet I haven’t heard of those things you said! Then even Satan knows them?! How could he?!”  
I sighed, glancing to my side. “Well to be fair, the Lord of the Rings trend died almost a decade ago.”  
“STILL!” Leviathan cried in exasperation. “A decade is but a little blip in my timeline! I should've known of it somehow!”  
A thought popped into my head.  
“You know,” I put my hands behind me, “you don’t have to know every good content that’s out there, just enjoy the things you love,” and ended with a shrug. My feet positioned themselves for a fight-or-flight situation.  
If he pounces, head for your room. Up the stairs. Behind you.

“Tch,” the demon scoffed, “easy for you normie humans to say…” then heaved a sigh. “but yeah, all that research can be tiring, and boring.”  
“Which means being a normie is not so bad,” my voice quivered slightly. Crap.  
“Says the normie.”  
“But anyway,” I stuttered, “my point is, you can enjoy the things you know well now. I don’t know how demons enjoy stuff but, um, usually when humans enjoy something, they focus on enjoying it and y’know, not having to uh, feel like they need to be the best or most knowledgeable about that thing.”  
Leviathan turned to face me again, and moved himself towards the light.  
“You mean, you can enjoy something without having to know everything about it?” he said with narrowed eyes. I nodded with a grin.  
“Just do what makes you happy! If that thing makes you happy then do it, and if getting to know everything about that thing makes you happy then do it. You don’t have to feel pressured to do something you don’t like.”  
Leviathan blinked.  
“Nobody.. ever told me that before,” he commented, glancing around. He sat upright, and stood. I took a step back.  
“You know what? You’re weird, for a normie, but I think I can try what you said. No promises, though.”  
I replied with a grin and a shrug. “Alright.”

“HUMAN!!” An echo emanated from upstairs. “HUMAN- JO!! C’MERE!!” A clanging of what sounded like metal followed.  
Was that Mammon?  
Leviathan let out a gasp. “I can’t be seen talking to a normie! GTG, bye!”  
I narrowed my eyes, putting my hands to my hips.  
“I’m sorry, what? G-T-G?”  
And just as Mammon came running in, his bowlcut brother bailed out and made the run for it. I turned to Mammon, who was huffing, holding a pan in each hand.  
“THERE YOU ARE!” he yelled. I cringed at how loud he was.  
“Didn’t ya hear the pots?”  
You mean ‘pans’? I wanted to say, but I’ve caused enough ruckus as it was.  
“Yes,” I answered humbly.  
“Then why didn’t ya come to the sound?!”  
I wondered if I should tell him I was chatting with Leviathan, but for my own safety, I kept that part to myself.  
“Alright, I’m sorry. I should’ve, it’s just my instinct to um, run away from loud sounds.”  
Mammon tossed his arms in the air. “Damn ya humans are some weird ass creatures- yanno what Lucifer coulda done to me if he knew you weren’t near me- REMEMBER RULE TWO?!”  
“Hey, I had to run away! Your angry brother was chasing me- prooobably about to kill me, and your other brothers told me to run!”  
“Okay ya little cockroach, from now on ya only listen to ME, Lucifer and uh Berswitch and Diavolo. If I say don’t run, DON’T RUN. Trust me! I can protect ya, okay?!”  
I folded my arms. “Then what did you do when Leviathan was hunting me down?”  
“Tellin’ ya NOT TO RUN!” and he dropped a pan. Its clang rang across the room, awakening some critters who were slumbering in its nooks and crannies.  
“Shit- look what ya made me do!”  
My mouth gaped in disbelief, I wanted to retort but knew it was a waste of time arguing with idiots.  
I simply told him to just escort me back to my room, that I may rest for the seventh day- the day when I’d go back to RAD.

The next morning, Berswitch had come not to bring me breakfast this time around, but to invite me to dine with the demon brothers. With pleasant surprise, I put on my school uniform and went with her into the dining room.  
Once again, it was a place of luxury and grandeur. The halls glimmered in golden light, Renaissance-esque paintings hung with pride along the walls, and beneath the spiral chandelier was a long table clothed in regal red with the plates and utensils all set.  
“Go on, sit down!” Berswitch urged softly. I took the seat at my end of the table. As I did, the demon brothers came into the room. I observed their faces, and tried to match the unfamiliar brothers with their fitting sins. I knew for sure that Beelzebub was the Avatar of Gluttony, thanks to that three-story hamburger I saw him eating just yesterday. The brother with the sandy waves for bangs, I presumed was the Avatar of Lust, seeing how he liked to cuddle up to whoever sat next to him.  
I gave a little thanks to God I didn't choose that seat.  
However, I counted only six brothers seated. Where was the Avatar of Sloth?

“Before we begin,” Lucifer's voice resounded throughout the room, “Berswitch, on behalf of us and the Lord Diavolo, we thank you for tending to the needs of our guest. I will be sure you’ll receive your just compensation.”  
Berswitch bowed. “Thank you, Lucifer! It was quite a pleasure, caring for this young human!” She then turned to me. “Now you be good, don't let this place change who you are.”  
I blinked, and grinned. “I won't! Thank you very much for nursing me!”  
She chuckled and gave me a pat on the shoulder. “Just doing my job, now,” she turned to the brothers, “you all have a lovely breakfast! Goodbye Lucifer, and all of you beautiful bastards!”  
“You called us WHAT?!” Mammon growled, standing up. Lemon Guy laughed while Beelzebub restrained him.  
“Ignore her, she's just a normie,” Levi grumbled.  
“Isn't she very sweet?” Lusty Guy mewed.  
“Enough,” snapped Lucifer, “let us eat, Jo will be late.”

After breakfast, I felt a little sick to my stomach. I ate too much, and had to give Beelzebub my leftovers before preparing for the trip to RAD but before I could leave, Mammon stood in front of the main gates.  
For a second, I zoned out and my eyes fixated on his sun-kissed image in the light.. of something that seemed to be heading towards us.  
“Hey human- Jo,” Mammon began, scratching the back of his head. “Ya got time?”  
“Not much,” I grimaced.  
“Okay this won't take long. Look, as your guardian..” he shot a glare to the side, “I’m gonna.. make a pact with ya.”  
I blinked.

“A pact?”


	5. The Pact

“A pact?”  
“Yes a pact!” Mammon exclaimed, then froze. “Wait, yanno what a pact is, right?”  
I shook my head briskly. Time was of the essence, and I could already tell where the light was coming from: a demented carriage- skeleton horse and all- was on its way to bring me there to RAD, just as Lucifer said it would. It was all I could put my mind to at the moment.  
“OI! Are ya even listenin’ to me?!” Mammon spat, and turned around. “Wait- ya gonna ride THAT?” He shook his head. “Nuh-uh, I’M drivin’ ya to RAD.”  
I blinked in surprise. “Really?”  
“Y-Yeah! Gotta do it cuz I gotta! Contract, Lucifer's orders and shit.”  
“But Lucifer never t-”  
“Hey, no time, WE GOTTA GO!”

Wha-?  
Just go with it, I told myself.

Mammon's vehicle wasn't the weird hellish sort I was expecting- no, it looked like one of those classic 50’s cars, just polished with black glossy paint and golden rims along the wheels. The inside wasn't so jazzy or unique either; the fuzzy walls wore a pale brown shade that clashed with the jet black leather seats. Mammon called it the Mammobile.  
“Oi oi, easy on the seats! I had to hustle to fix these up and I ain't lettin ya human world germs taint the value!” Mammon quipped as I was just about to sit down as gently as I could. I heaved a sigh.  
“Got it. I presumed it's a luxury car.”  
“Haha, no it isn’t,’’ a voice sneered.  
“SATAN!” Mammon barked.  
I was taken aback by the familiar face peeking through the car door before I could swing it shut. Lemon Guy flashed a quirky smile.  
“Sorry, human. Did I scare you?” he poked his head out of the window. “Anyway, I stopped by merely to see you off and, to debunk whatever tomfoolery spouts out of my brother’s mouth.”  
“Oi- whatcha say?!” Mammon leaned on the wheel and turned to us.  
I was so gonna be late.  
“First off, this car’s selling value’s way more than your wordy smartypants brain can think of! Also, go away! Ya gonna make Jo late for class!”  
Lemon Guy scoffed. “Fine, whatever you wish to believe. Take care of your human, Mammon.”  
“Okay- she’s not MY human-”  
“You think I don't hear you? Even in a busy crowd, you're as audible as a banshee!”  
“Alright we're leavin’, c’mon Jo let's get outta here. Step on it!”  
“But Mammon, you're the driver,” I said blankly.  
Mammon paused for a second. “I knew that!” and from there he turned the key and stomped on the gas.

“So,” Mammon began, eyes on the road, “a pact is when a demon shares like, a connection- or shares their powers with a human, in exchange for a part o’ their soul.”  
I narrowed my eyes. “A part of my soul?”  
“Yeah! Like uh, just a piece. Ya heard Lucifer right? Demons like souls. A lot. Sometimes too much- I don’ really see the big deal ‘bout em but uh, yeah. Since I’m your guardian, and I have to be there for ya like all the time, we gotta make a pact.”  
“... in exchange for a part of my soul,” I repeated.  
“Good ya get it!” Mammon praised, turning the wheel. He shot a grin at me. “If ya wanna last more than a week at RAD, ya gotta have some uh, not-human powers somehow. No human can survive in the Devildom by just bein’ human!”  
“Hm,” I gave it some thought. While the offer was enticing, I still had to remember that this place was a hell-esque landscape, and demons were still demons. It didn't help that my guardian was the Avatar of Greed, either. “But it's not impossible, right?”  
Mammon shrugged. “Well yeah- I mean no!”  
“Look,” I replied, “as much as I want to, I can't trust you. How can I know you're not gonna use the pact to turn me into your slave or something?”  
“Uh, slave? Nah. Can't, not even if I wanna!”  
“And why not?” I asked quizzically.  
My eyes caught sight of a familiar building in the distance.  
“‘Cause it goes against the rules!” Mammon said as he sped up a bit. “And it ain't in my authority, alright? I may be second-born but I haven't unlocked all the benefits that m’bro Lucifer’s got. I even work as hard as him and I don't even get paid as much! This Guardian gig better gimme a raise!”  
Not with that attitude, I wanted to bite back, but bit back my tongue instead. 

We got to RAD, and it seemed that I got Mammon sidetracked about the pact idea by the time I mentioned ‘money,’ thus distanced myself from him as far as possible, deep into the dim, crowded corridors towards my class.  
For a moment I remembered that cougar-headed teacher, and thought to confirm what I saw if I ever met her again.

The pact… Mammon seemed very much willing to offer it, and the way Lemon Guy talked about it, seemed like demon pacts weren't just small deals they could casually throw around.  
Perhaps they didn't use it to enslave lower beings, if that were the case- either that or they were just picky with who they wanted as binding servants. I didn't know much about pacts, but one thing was for sure: the other party would always give something in return. In this case, some of Mammon's powers.  
Maybe it was worth a try, but I needed time to think it over.

The teacher, Agrapha, did indeed have a cougar for a head. The class seemed different from when I was last in it- this time the atmosphere felt a little more.. lighthearted. No one was sneering or eyeing their hungry, menacing eyes at me, in fact there were way less students than before.  
There were only four of us in the classroom, and it wasn't the same room I was in before my tragic collapse.

“Good morning, Jo, welcome back,” spoke Agrapha. My body seemed to jumpstart when I heard her voice boom across the walls and towards me. Eyes wide open, back in an imperial position and hands flat on the table. My other three classmates glanced back at me, with two of them smiling. The other who wasn't, looked a little too young to be here at all.  
“The Lord Diavolo has instructed me to place you with the rest of the exchange students until the others begin to behave,” Agrapha informed with a snarl, glaring at the door, “I apologize for their behavior. They haven't had fresh mortal in months.”  
“It's understandable,” I responded with a quivering voice. Dammit just stabilize!  
“These are your fellow exchange students, from other realms. You may sit beside your fellow human, here,” her paw gestured to the white-haired student on my right. The student flashed me a grin and turned away.  
A fellow human?! Oh boy!  
But as I went up front to sit beside them, I felt this strong, gripping aura and was taken aback for a second.  
Something was weird about this human. Something inhuman, and their white hair didn't look dyed- it was as if their hair aged first before the rest of their body did.  
“Hello,” came their voice, and offered a handshake as I took my seat. Slowly I returned it and felt their rigid grip. They gave me a little grin and a nod.  
“I'm Solomon, and yes I’m a human too, believe it or not, I’ve just been here for too long,” they ended with a chuckle.  
Just how long was ‘too long’?  
I couldn't seem to say anything.  
“You're Jo, yes?” He slipped his hand off my grasp.  
I put down my hand as well.  
“Yeah! Yeah I am.”  
“Welcome to the Devildom. I hope Lucifer's taking good care of you- but we can talk more later, after class.”  
“Alright,” I said with a grin.

The other two exchange students, as Agrapha introduced, were from the Celestial Realm; they were angels. Angels! The older-looking one gave a seemingly friendly wave while the other waved with a sour look. Agrapha explained that for the Interrealmic Exchange Program to be a success, the chosen humans, demons and angels were distributed amongst the three realms to study, socialize and discover new things about them. I wondered if there were humans sent to the Celestial Realm, as well as demons.  
I really wished I'd been sent there instead. God, why here?  
I figured He had a perfectly good reason for why He let me get sent down here. It was only for a year anyways, and I could legitimately say I went to hell and back.. if I’d still be alive to tell the tale.  
Thankfully I did live, to write all this down.

After class, Solomon accompanied me, walking alongside me to show me around RAD. Instead of a uniform, he wore this long, glimmering thin black robe with a white strap around his shoulders, both ends having chains of thin gold diamonds. I envied his outfit, but immediately swallowed said envy, figuring it was Leviathan’s influence.  
We exchanged questions about each other, but he refused to disclose who he was before he was taken in as an exchange student.  
“I’ve been here for so long, honestly..” he put a hand to his chin, “I just no longer remember the man I was before.. all this.”  
I paused halfway up the stairs. “So wait.”  
“Hm?”  
“So you’ve been here.. for more than a year?”  
“Yes!” He beamed. “Why?”  
I blinked in horror. “How.. long?”  
“Well, last time I counted, a few decades.”  
“And they never sent you back?!” I spit out frantically. A few heads down below looked up at us for a moment.  
“Woah calm down!” Solomon said coolly, raising his hands, “I stayed by choice! Haha, of course they fulfilled their promise of returning me to the Human Realm after a year, you don't have to worry about that.”  
“Then…” I narrowed my eyes, eyeing him intently, “why did you stay?”  
He shot a sidewards glance and gestured to me to come up the stairs. I followed him dubiously, without a word.  
“You see,” he began as we turned to enter a quieter hallway glowing in cherry red, “as I studied here, I grew a particular interest in alchemy. Obtaining powers, seeing how much my human body could withstand. The magic you can find here in the Devildom, is truly astounding.  
“So you may ask, how did I do that? By pacts, of course!”  
I blinked.  
“Pacts, you say?”  
“Yes. 72 of them, to be exact.”  
I blinked for longer.  
“SEVENTY-TWO?!” I cried. No wonder his aura felt powerful!  
My mouth gaped in shock. “Wow.”  
“Do you have any, yet?”  
“No,” I grimaced, eyeing a golden ornament on the wall. “No, not yet- I’m still thinking about the pact that my guardian offered- Mammon, if you know him.”  
Solomon scoffed. “What? You're still thinking about it? Mammon? That guy- demons don't just OFFER pacts! You still have to earn them, usually, and you better accept this one before he changes his mind.. I doubt he would, but it's an opportunity for you!”  
“I THINK NOT!”  
“Luke!”  
Our heads turned to the people behind us- the other two exchange students! From the Celestial Realm!  
Angels!  
The taller one gave a chuckle, placing a hand on their companion’s shoulder. “I'm sorry to intrude, we were looking for you, since we haven't properly introduced yourselves.”  
I blinked. “You’re.. angels, right? Like actual angels?”  
“Why, yes we are!” The little one piped up with their head raised.  
“We're pleased to have you here,” said the taller one with a smile, “I’m Simeon, and this is Luke. We are from the Celestial Realm.”  
“And I say NEVER make pacts with demons!” Luke added.

Well who was I to doubt an angel’s word? I was just happy to hear that they were on my side as well.  
“Now now, Luke,” Solomon came out of the hallway, “pacts aren’t as evil as you may have been taught they were. Believe it or not, a demon’s pact is Jo’s only way to last long here. It's a necessity, as she needs some way to protect herself. As for you angels, you can handle it, but she can't.”  
“But Mammon said it's not impossible to survive without it,” I retorted.  
“While that is true, how else are you going to last for a month here? Do you know another way?”  
“We can protect you!” said Luke, who peered up to Simeon. “We can, right?”  
Simeon lowered and shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not. Michael did warn us not to use our power here. We don't know what could happen.”  
Luke pouted, glaring at Solomon.

I didn't know what to think, or to choose. The Devildom was a dog-eat-dog world, afterall, and sometimes you just had to take some risks and bend some rules to get by. As much as I wanted to side with Luke, Solomon did have a point. I wouldn't know how to defend myself if ever a demon tried to eat me and even if I ran, I wouldn't be able to get away, not without another demon to help me. I couldn't rely on the angels to help me out, either, no matter how much they’d want to.  
I’d really hoped they were my guardians instead, as they seemed to be the sanest beings in this hellhole right now.

“I’ll have to think about it,” I said eventually amidst Solomon and Luke’s bickering. “I have to go, now, anyways.” They fell silent and turned to me.  
“Where are you staying?” Simeon asked.  
“I don't know yet,” I admitted, “but Agrapha said she’ll show me my room.”  
“That's odd,” Solomon commented with narrowed eyes, “I thought they’d put you in a more secure place, such as Purgatory Hall.”  
Luke stepped closer to chime in. “It’s where we stay!”  
I shrugged, glancing sideways. “Maybe it's temporary. I did stay at the House of Lamentation for a week to recover, but I had to come back, eventually.”  
“I really hope you can come stay at Purgatory Hall! It's peaceful there, you’ll love it,” said Luke, “and the best part? No demons!”

“No demons?” I repeated slowly.  
Luke nodded in excitement. “Yes! I also bake great pastries, you’ll love it with us- she can stay with us, right Simeon?”  
His companion smiled at him then me. “Of course! You're always welcome to come stay with us, whenever you want to.”  
I beamed. “Thank you, guys, really! Sometimes I do need a break from all this,” I threw my hands in the air, “chaos.”  
“I understand that,” Solomon replied with a chuckle. “Sometimes.”

The three agreed, without hesitation, to accompany me to my room, that was until we got to the main hallway, where a dissonant clang resounded throughout the building.  
“Oh no, curfew!” Luke spat.  
“Yes, I’m afraid that means we must be going, Jo,” said Solomon, “that bell is specifically for us foreign students to come indoors, as the Night students will start coming in.”  
The Night students…  
“Should I worry about them?” I asked with a quiver in my voice.  
“While you're still here, yes. They're the ones Agrapha warned us about. Speaking of that, she’s just over there,” he turned towards her in the corner of the hall amongst other students, “you must stay with her at all costs.”  
My body stiffened, and I felt my hands curl into tight fists. “Got it. You go and take care, you guys.”  
“Take care, Jo!” Luke waved. “Remember not to trust demons at ALL COSTS!!”  
“Luke!” Simeon quipped gently, then turned to me. “We’ll see you tomorrow, take care!”

As their figures disappeared in the halls, everything else in the background increased in volume. The chatters, squawks, grunts, gurgles, whinnies- it was a crowded zoo; a cacophony of voices, tension. My mind swirled for a moment.  
Agrapha! I had to get to her!  
Her ears were visible in the looming crowd, I squeezed my way past bodies to her direction, until a group of similar-horned students made a beeline across towards another room.  
No! I tiptoed, kneeled and jumped to see if Agrapha was still there- and of course she wasn't anymore! But I saw a glimpse of her paw, I thought I could still catch her!  
You must stay with her at all costs.  
You must sta-

“What's this?” a voice hissed in my ear. I turned around to see a serpent head- no, three vivid green serpent heads hovering above me, with some beast and another scaled being- humanoid, I didn't know- surrounding me. I felt small. Felt vulnerable, but I wasn't about to go down without a fight.  
“Whaddaya want?” I raised my voice but not so to catch everyone’s attention. Before I knew it, something cold had my arms and body in a grip and squeezed tighter. I glanced down- snake?!  
It was one of the serpent’s ‘arms.’ All six of their hungry, wild eyes stared down at me, ready to lash at my face. I shot a glare back with gritted teeth, trying to wriggle free.  
Think fast! If not your body, then your wits!  
“Let go!” I snapped, “Don't you know what the Lord Diavolo can do if you hurt me?!”  
A putrid stink stung my nose, and I turned to see the beast speaking in my face.  
“Do you really think he cares about you? The heir to the throne of the Devildom?”  
“He can always get another human to replace you, you know,” the scaly humanoid chortled.  
How could I’ve responded to those?! I tried to think of a retort but they had already stolen me into the dark corners of the school, with nothing but their evil, greedy eyes visible. The shadows have swallowed everything else- with no way out. I felt.. Powerless. Hopeless. God, who could help me now?!

!!!

“MAMMON!!!!”


	6. The Guardian

I yelled constantly at the top of my lungs.  
“MAMMON COME ON, PLEASE I’M OVER HERE!! MAMMON!!! MAMMON I’M HERE!!” with nothing but laughter responding.  
The serpent’s right head slithered over to my side.  
“You call fffor NO one!”  
“She thinks you can just call the demons for help! What a baby!” I presumed the scaly humanoid said.  
“Well no matter, we have her now. How shall we divide her among us?” growled the beast.  
“I'm only afffter her blood,” hissed the head serpent, “you two may have the tender parts, and the insides for all I care.”  
“Good!” And I felt a claw grapple unto my shoulder. I couldn't help but scream, they were piercing into my skin! They were piercing into my skin!   
I dazed from the sight of blood trickling down my arm, and as if that wasn't terrifying and painful enough, two jet black claws slashed downwards to my wrist, ripping a long hole through my sleeve, ripping through my skin. I gasped, crying in searing pain as the blurred image of the serpent heads were about to feast on my blood.  
Then something sent them flying backwards into the dark. Their coil loosened and I fell to the ground, thankfully on my good arm. I grunted, my other arm felt like it was on fire- a volcano gushing out lava from the cracks.   
“GAAAAAAAAAH!” I yelled with a crack in my voice. Amidst the noise I made, I heard my panic-stricken captors.  
“What?!”  
“What was that?”  
The lights came on, or so they seemed. My vision spun in blurred motion but I recall my captors’ faces in a horrified state, backing up against the wall.

“What's the meanin’ of this, ha?!”  
Wait.  
Mammon?!  
And there I was, being lifted off the ground. The whole room whirled in distortion until I caught sight of a familiar tan face and flurry of white hair above me.

“We're sorry! Please, have mercy on us!”  
“We didn't know she was your human!”  
“Ya dumbasses shoulda known better than to PREY ON AN EXCHANGE STUDENT! The Lord Diavolo woulda had all your asses STAKED!”  
“I’ll deal with them, Mammon, this was my fault,” said another voice. Familiar. Feminine. I saw my arm staining Mammon’s uniform in crimson, and it was all I could pay attention to.  
“Mammon,” I muttered with watery eyes, “I’m sorry.. your unif-”  
“Shh,” he replied, his eyes on my captors, “Rule one.”  
Rule one? I couldn't remember at the time.  
“Ya sure, Agrapha?”  
“Yes. Their punishment will be fair. Severe.”  
I closed my eyes from there on..

“Jo?!”  
“Is she awake?”  
“Look, she’s movin’, that means she's alive, right?”  
“Oh no, that there is a sign of death, Mammon.”  
“What?!”  
I blinked, trying to clear my vision and make out where I was. I turned to my right and saw several figures sitting by, with a familiar green blob feeling my chest and neck.  
“Jo? Jo, can you respond? Nod if you can.”  
Feeling lost, I nodded blankly. My mind just couldn't comprehend everything, as it still felt overwhelmed.  
“She seems fine, just dazed from the attack. She might have been drugged, or this is merely a human response to pain.”  
“Will she be able to go back?”  
“I don't know, I’ll have to examine her. I don't think it's safe for her to attend the Institute. Not in her current state.”  
“I offered ‘er a pact and like a dumbass, she refused!”  
“Rightfully so!”  
“Yeah well SHE ALMOST GOT KILLED!”  
“Mammon, settle down. I'm sure she will come around to accepting the pact.”  
“And her skepticism is valid. You would've thought the same in her place, Mammon. Imagine if she offered you some mysterious drink that she claimed would miraculously make you smarter.”  
“Oh. Yeah I ain't drinking that shit. I'm already smart!”

“I’m sorry, Mammon,” I spoke up while staring at the luminescent ceiling. Such bright colors reminded me of a fine spring day. Back in the human world. Where I wanted to return to. Where I could withstand the pain.  
“I didn't trust you.. sooner.”  
“It's alright, Mammon should’ve known better than to think you’d welcome a pact from a demon,” said whom I made out to be Lemon Guy.   
“And, I broke Rule Two,” Mammon added. “Was s’posed to be you who broke it but, I did.” 

When I had come to my senses, I realized I’d been hospitalized. Again!  
I found it humiliating, to say the least. With a sigh, I had some pep talk with my visitors and waited for results. That was, until I saw who walked in. His dark colors and towering silhouette shook me in my gurney- bed- whatever it was.  
“So here we are again,” he mused, hands behind his back.  
“Hello,” I mumbled.  
“I'm afraid she can't go back to the RAD Institute,” said Berswitch with her webbed hand placed next to me. “Not if she's fully protected, or she has an escort with her.”  
“So it will be done,” Lucifer replied in monotone.   
“I'm serious, Lucifer! How could you let a human off defenseless in a building full of human-hungry demons?!”  
“I left that responsibility to Mammon, he should answer to you about this.” He turned to him, “it seems you nearly failed to do your job as guardian. You know what could happen if the Lord Diavolo hears that the human keeps getting hospitalized on the weekly.”  
“I offered her a pact and she rejected it!” Mammon retorted.  
“Have you relayed all the details?”  
“Yes!”  
“Then why did you reject his proposal, Jo?”  
His tone suggested light curiosity, but all I could hear was an investigator’s tone in interrogation.   
“I couldn't.. tell if he was trustworthy or not.”  
“It is rightful of her to react this way, Lucifer,” Lemon Guy chimed in, “especially when it's Mammon.”  
Mammon scrambled in his seat, looking at him in disbelief. “Oi whatcha mean by that?!”  
“I suppose it was valid of her to be suspicious,” Lucifer agreed, “Mammon shouldn't have been too quick to offer the pact. Instead, he should've escorted her to class and back,” he shot a glare at his brother in question.  
“Okay, I know! I should've! I just thought the pact could help Jo summon me easier since the D.D.D. don't do that!”

Wait. What?  
“Summon you easier?” I repeated.  
“Yeah- oh. I forgot to mention that..” Mammon scratched his head then had it slapped up by Lucifer.  
“You moron!” Lemon Guy laughed, “I had a feeling there were some very important tidbits you failed to relay.”  
“Shuddup!” Mammon grumbled back, rubbing his head. At that moment, I felt sympathy for him. It turned out he was just trying to help, and it seemed that Luke was realizing it, too, what with that softened look of his at Mammon.

“You will stay here at Purgatory Hall,” Lucifer announced once I was out of the cleric chambers. I had my arm wrapped with silk and laced with fresh crushed herbs. The smell was nice and pleasant; akin to a little herb garden.   
“As you go to the RAD Institute, Mammon will be sure to escort you through passages very few tread in, and make sure that the, tamer demons and exchange students will be your only company.  
“As I said, we cannot be there for you all the time, so I suggest that you accept Mammon’s pact offer. That alone will suffice in protecting you, even when Mammon isn't around.”  
“Alright,” I gave a nod in agreement. My eyes were opened- no, pried wide open to how much I needed the pact. I turned to Mammon, whose eyes wandered high up to the ceiling.  
“Mammon?”  
“Huh?” He shook his head, facing me.  
“Yeah?”  
“I'm ready to accept your pact.”  
He blinked in apparent surprise.  
“Wha- really- NAH.”  
I narrowed my eyes. “Uh, what?”  
“Ya just wanna make a pact so I can protect ya and shit! Nothin’ else!”  
“But, Mammon,” Lemon guy asked, “isn't that exactly why you're making the pact..?”  
And from there my guardian paused, glancing blankly at everyone until he said “Oh. Right right! Right. Okay let's do it!”  
“Wait!” I remembered something I wanted to ask.  
“What does it mean, when you have a piece of my soul?”  
Lemon Guy raised a hand and cleared his throat. “I’ll explain from here. To have a small portion, just a small one, in exchange for our shared powers is just a symbiotic relationship. That piece could affect our person, maybe in a good way, in a bad way, or maybe it wouldn't at all. However, it doesn't mean you lose it, it only means that we’ll be sharing that portion. It'd be ours as much as it is yours.”  
It sure sounded wonderful when he put it that way. So it was like making a tight mutual bond with the demon, which was why Solomon said that one would still have to earn it.  
“So what do you say, Mammon?” I spoke up. Mammon scrunched his face and stepped forward.  
“Alright, I guess,” he replied with a shrug, and held out his left- right hand.   
As I took it with my good hand, suddenly there was this surge of energy that entered me; waves of vibrations blanketed my body from head to toe. I saw my hair strands floating with the golden specks of light, and I swear I had to keep my feet planted lest I’d be swept off. It was over in a few seconds, Mammon let go with a smirk.  
Turning my right hand up, I saw a small, golden marking engraved into the center of my palm. It was the symbol for Greed, as I recalled from my class earlier that day. Surprisingly it didn't feel painful, but I did feel as if someone was eternally pressing their thumb into my palm.  
It was a weird sensation: I felt like I could just jump, move my damaged arm freely, run a few kilometers and for once never be exhausted! It was exhilarating! I turned to the others with the biggest smile on my face, Luke just looked weirded out, Simeon returned with a warm chuckle and well, Lucifer’s face had the same stone expression ever since I first met him.  
“How does it feel?” he asked.  
“Great!” I exclaimed, still feeling this newfound energy vibrating through my arms, though it all made me a little dizzy.  
Eventually I had to say farewell to the demons as I was taken to a room in Purgatory Hall to settle in, which was just across Simeon and Luke's. 

Purgatory Hall itself was a sight for sore eyes. The aura, atmosphere- everything felt calm, collected, serene, like a soft, gentle breeze wafting lazily through the air and providing a whispering comfort to everyone who walked past it. Trees with blooming flowers grew around the place, plants with transparent leaves sat along the gutters and elegant sculpted patterns could be seen strewn across the walls and pillars. They relieved my dizziness, even just for a few moments. 

It was like I literally walked in heaven.

The bed was the first thing my eyes fixated on upon entering my room, its fluffy-looking pillows and sheets reeled me in completely! Within seconds I was lying down in marshmallow clouds of comfiness.   
“Oi!” came a familiar voice. I raised my head to see Mammon standing at the doorway.  
“Oh, hey!” I greeted him with a grin, though he didn't look too happy. His eyes fell to the side.  
“I-I came to say sorry, aight?” he said, locking his gaze on me, brows furrowed. I felt anger from him… but not the kind of anger that was directed towards me.  
“I was dumb for just leavin’ ya defenseless and, for offerin’ that pact too fast. You shoulda accepted it but, I get it.” He looked away with his hands in his pants pockets.   
“I forgive you,” I replied with a softened look at him. His eyes glanced towards me and back to the wall. He fell silent for a moment, and I was surprised. I didn't think he'd react this way.  
The anger was directed at himself.

Then he cut into the silence, facing me again. “Ya forgive too fast, yanno that?”  
“There's nothing wrong with that, is there?” I asked back.  
“Well no, but aren't ya mad at me? Aren't ya gonna, I dunno, ask Lucifer to punish me or somethin’?”   
I blinked, shaking my head.  
“No, Mammon. You admitted your mistake and apologized.”  
“Huh…” he trailed off. “Ya humans are weird as hell… but I get that. So what if yanno, someone does somethin’ big like murderin’ someone? Do ya still forgive ‘em?”  
“Well, we do eventually, if they truly regret what they’ve done, but they still go to prison as they should,” I replied, tucking in my blanket. “To forgive is to just, let go of that guilt and feeling of vengeance that weighs you down, but it doesn't exempt the other person from the consequences.”  
“So ya still gonna ask Lucifer to punish me?”  
“No, I’d like to believe me getting hurt was punishment enough.”  
Mammon smirked. “Ya humans are really weird! When it comes to forgivin’ and all that shit, we gotta be punished in order to be forgiven!”  
“It works that way sometimes too, in the human realm,” I replied in agreement, “but sometimes, you just have to learn to forgive yourself.”  
My guardian blinked, pointing to his chest. “So uh… punish myself?”  
“No!” I laughed, “I mean, you don't have to always look for punishment when you make a mistake. When you forgive yourself, you stop feeling guilty, accept you made a mistake, learn your lesson and move on. And try to be better.”  
“Pffsch,” he scoffed with his hands on his sides, “if that's the case, then forgivin’ ourselves is impossible! I mean, we're DEMONS! We're s’posed to be like this!”  
“What if you don't have to be?”  
“We can't just choose to NOT be demons.”  
“Being a demon doesn't always have to mean you're a horrible person. I know many humans who are horrible, but they're not demons.”  
“Well they sure as hell are gonna be one eventually!” then he added in a mutter, “Definitely not as awesome as me, though.”  
“But what do YOU wanna be, Mammon? Do you want to always be known as the scummy Avatar of Greed?”  
“Oi oi…” he trailed off for a second. “I know I’m greedy, b-but I ain't like that all the time! I can share!”  
“See?” I sat up. “You can be better if you want to!”  
Mammon grunted, narrowed his eyes and paced around the doorway, then stopped to face me and ask.  
“Ya really think, demons can be good?”  
I shrugged.  
“Why not? You've got more good than many humans I’ve known.”  
“Is that even possible?” he ended with a dubious chuckle.  
“You just made it possible.”  
“How?”  
“By caring for a puny, frail human like me,” I replied with a smile.  
“Hey- I-I’m just doin’ it cuz I was told to! Or Lucifer will have my ass! Not like I actually care! Ya should know I’m STILL a demon! The Great Mammon ain't usually got time for this human babysittin’ business!”  
“Yet here you are, when you should already be somewhere else!”

Mammon blinked, glancing around the room until he went frantic, wild-eyed.  
“Right! I got somethin’ to do! Aight just uh, call me when ya need me- can't guarantee I’ll come- I-I mean I can! But not always! Aight I’m goin’ bye!” And out he went, closing the door gently behind him before dashing off.  
I stared at my marked palm for a moment and went to sleep grinning, knowing I’ve managed to make a demon crack. 

-

Wow. It's amazing how I still remember all this.


End file.
